he just won this election. it's not like the debt ceiling debacle in 2011 went over well with the american public. the american public was disgusted by it, it was brinks manship that people did not like to see, in a recession, they thought it endangered the economy, republicans also know that if you look at the polls and they look at the polls, that the public would blame them if we go over the fiscal cliff by a 2 to 1 margin. so i would say that right now, and i think even republicans would stipulate this, wolf. the president has the leverage here, i mean, republicans also know that if they were to go over the cliff that the tax cuts on the wealthy would increase. you could come back and undue the tax cuts on the middle class expiring. but the president's in a pretty good bargaining position here, which is why you see him sort of hold firm. >> what leverage do the republicans have? >> well, look, i think it -- they understand that for some liberals going over the cliff is okay, because liberals say, you know w